Russia Warns Sanctions Would "Backfire"

President Medvedev Vows Not To Bend To Western Pressure, Or Go Isolationist

(CBS/AP)  President Dmitry Medvedev warned the West on Monday that any sanctions imposed on Russia over the war in Georgia would backfire.

Russia will not change its course despite pressure from the West, Medvedev said.

"It's senseless to pressure Russia with sanctions," Medvedev said at a meeting with Russian business leaders. "They can shut a couple of sources of (revenue) to a banana republic and make its situation dramatic. It won't work like that here."

Without mentioning any specific nation, Medvedev warned that attempts to punish Russia would also hurt the West.

"Sanctions is a weapon that will backfire," he said. "If attempts are made to introduce sanctions, damages will be symmetrical."

After Russia's war with Georgia last month, some diplomats and politicians in the West called for expelling Russia from the Group of Eight leading industrialized nations and blocking its bid to join the World Trade Organization. No sanctions have been imposed so far.

Medvedev said Russia would like to join the World Trade Organization but would not be pressured into concessions.

"WTO isn't a carrot; it entails a lot of difficult obligations," he said. "And if we do it, let us do it in a normal way without them trying to scare us."

The president also said Russia would not respond to international tension by becoming isolationist.

"We don't need an isolation or an arms race, it's a road to nowhere," he said.

Medvedev's latest warning to the West came as NATO's chief arrived in Georgia to show support for the pro-Western nation after its war with Russia.

NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer led a delegation of ambassadors from all 26 alliance members for a two-day visit starting Monday. He said the visit would help in assessing "how to further enhance" the partnership.

De Hoop Scheffer said NATO wanted to show support for Georgia after what he has called Russia's use of disproportionate force against its smaller neighbor.

Georgia's president has angered Russia with his pursuit of NATO membership. Last week he said Russia went to war to keep Georgia out of the alliance and warned NATO not to let Moscow get its way through force.

On Monday, President Mikhail Saakashvili told reporters he hoped the military alliance would "accelerate" the process to bring his country into the fold.

Meanwhile, the European Commission on Monday proposed a $700 million aid package over three years to help Georgia recover from its conflict with Russia.

EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said she hopes European Union foreign ministers will approve the money at a meeting Monday.

"The European Union must undertake a very significant financial effort," she told reporters. "We have to go beyond the ongoing assistance."

She says the "stability and growth package" designed to run from 2008-2010 will assist people displaced by the conflict, help to rebuild, support Georgia's economic stability and finance the construction of new infrastructure.

The EU ministers were also expected to agree to send a 200-strong civilian observer mission to Georgia, meant to verify Russian troop withdrawals from parts of Georgia outside of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the two breakaway provinces.

Diplomats said the mission would last for one year, and cost the EU $44 million. France was to provide the biggest contingent of the unarmed observers - around 70.

[beehive21-2009]

Leave Russia alone, they were defending there borders ,like we did during the Cuban Missile crisis.What do you expect.

[krotec54]

Now Russia wants to be the new and improve bully on the block. Call their bluff. %u201CEurope can shut a couple of sources of revenue to this republic and make its situation dramatic. It might wakeup the leadership that the %u201COld Communist Way%u201D will not work in this time in history."

[lochlan-2009]

You people are idiots. The U.S. war profiteers are guaranteeing tax revenue for another arms race. That was the whole point of McCain having Georgia attack S.Osetia. You, the tax payer, gave Georgia $1billion for this charade, and then they got another $3/4 billion from the international metary fund. Bend over morons and pay pay pay.

[xalen54]

Some democracy this is! Everyone with half a brain knows that Saakashvili is a ******* lunatic! I''m glad that Russia invaded, Medvedev is much smarter than Bush & knows when a TRUE crime has been committed. Bush needs to get his head out of his *** & realize that "Being a democratic nation" does not excuse them for their war crimes! No, Bush is just angry cause Russia took out his only ally & ruined the street named after him.

[stevex47]

Maybe he doesn''t do e mail either, and missed the one that says the U.S. is the only country allowed to start bogus wars.

[tbweb]

President Dmitry Medvedev seems calm and collected and didn`t bang his shoe on the table, he would get along well with a President Obama! A President McCain would be a classic hot-head and would be America`s Khrushchev!

[samsel3]

The truth is, this is all about control of oil & gas pipelines. The BTC oil pipeline in South Ossetia & the Nabucco natural gas pipeline in NW Georgia supply markets in the European Union. In November 2003 the World Bank funded the BTC pipeline to circumvent Russian pipelines supplying europe.

Shareholders in the BTC pipeline are: British Petroleum, AzBTC, Chevron, Statoil, TPAO, ENI, Total, Itochu, INPEX, ConocoPhillips & Amerada Hess.

Russia is the second largest supplier of oil & gas on the planet.
After loosing Iraqi oil to Operation Iraqi Freedom, they negotiated supplies with Iran. The Russians were not happy with Cheneys BTC pipeline or the TAPI Caspian Sea Pipelines project going through Afghanistan. This threatens their economy based on oil & gas.

Again it s the Bush administrations lust for money in World markets for their BIG OIL buddies

[jmurrieta11]

"Russia has a 300 plus year history of ''''protecting its borders'''' by which it invades and confiscates its neighbors lands.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by whatwhy001


And the US has a 250 year history of doing the same thing. So?

[tbweb]

Posted by darkmeat4 at 03:37 PM : Sep 15, 2008,,,

People like you mistake Sen. Obama`s willingness to explore and exhaust diplomacy in earnest first as a sign of weakness. Sen. Obama can attack and can attack with the best of them, he just chooses to exhaust diplomacy first. Actually that`s what makes Sen. Obama dangerous, he is a wolf in sheep`s clothing! Obama is a wolf, he is not a sheep, don`t be fooled!

[miamiderick]

George Bush threatened to punish Russia because of Ossetia, and said he might freeze their bank accounts. Russia has apparently liquidated $65 billion in US investments and pulled their money out. Now we have a $65 billion black hole in our economy. Hasn%u2019t George Bush the moron punished Russia enough? We need a regime change now. Goodbye to Bush, and he can take McCain and Palin with him.

[Torilin]

Russia has apparently liquidated $65 billion in US investments and pulled their money out.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Posted by MiamiDerick

Is that how our financial crisis materialized? Russia pulled their $$ out of Wall St. Banks. Wow is that all it takes to drop US economy!

[lewiston14]

"Russia has a 300 plus year history of ''''''''protecting its borders'''''''' by which it invades and confiscates its neighbors lands.

Posted by whatwhy001

And the US has a 250 year history of doing the same thing. So?

A point to be made to the comments. That is just that borders 5000 miles away from each other. You think Russia is going to stand by while the US lands and invasion force? I dont think so.

[lewiston14]

"The truth is they are losing investments from around the world, and they are beginning to feel the consequences of their unprovoked attack on a neighboring democratic sovereign nation."

Tell that to the EU when they turn off the oil and gas for a month or two if the EU even opens up its mouth. Dont worry oil and gas in the ground will not loose value but winter is coming and the US would be going it alone with a lame quack with only a few months to go. He would have to side step congress and this time it may not be so easy. He really has become a mad man.

[lewiston14]

And please no return comments about how we can push a few buttons and blow things up......So can they.

[incog-nito]

The neocon solution to world conflict: Nuke''em! Nuke''em all! Turn the whole place into glass. Kill''em all and let God sort them out.

[Scooter68]

Anyone who has done any real study of Russia especially the former USSR knows that what is occuring is a resurgance of power by those who were weaned on the Soviet way of life and power. Russia cannot easily step away from it''s political history and the Georgia action is all too clear an example that the Soviet/Communist ways are not gone.
Rantings on this board show just how little people know about the history of links between the old USSR and current day Russia.

A return to the cold war mentality by modern day Russia is all to possible and likely unless the rest of the world is ready to stand up to Russia and make the neccessary sacrifices to squelch the emerging (re-emerging) power plays by the current Russian leadership.

[samsel3]

The truth is, this is all about control of oil & gas pipelines. The BTC oil pipeline in South Ossetia & the Nabucco natural gas pipeline in NW Georgia supply markets in the European Union. In November 2003 the World Bank funded the BTC pipeline to circumvent Russian pipelines supplying europe.

Shareholders in the BTC pipeline are: British Petroleum, AzBTC, Chevron, Statoil, TPAO, ENI, Total, Itochu, INPEX, ConocoPhillips & Amerada Hess.

Russia is the second largest supplier of oil & gas on the planet.
After loosing Iraqi oil to Operation Iraqi Freedom, they negotiated supplies with Iran. The Russians were not happy with Cheneys BTC pipeline or the TAPI Caspian Sea Pipelines project going through Afghanistan. This threatens their economy based on oil & gas.

Again it s the Bush administrations lust for money in World markets for their BIG OIL buddies

[lewiston14]

"The truth is they are losing investments from around the world, and they are beginning to feel the consequences of their unprovoked attack on a neighboring democratic sovereign nation."

Another comment to this statement fron another poster.
Truth is by the end of the day today the worlds markets will have lost trillions in investments. Russia is just cashing theirs out to protect it from a sinking world economy.

[intheshade-2009]

MiamiDerick says: George Bush threatened to punish Russia because of Ossetia, and said he might freeze their bank accounts. Russia has apparently liquidated $65 billion in US investments and pulled their money out. Now we have a $65 billion black hole in our economy. Hasn%u2019t George Bush the moron punished Russia enough? We need a regime change now. Goodbye to Bush, and he can take McCain and Palin with him. ------
It looks like Russia does not have to retaliate against the US, George Bush''s regime is collapsing in on itself.

[prudentvoter]

The truth is the United States are losing investments from around the world, and they are beginning to feel the consequences of their unprovoked attack on a the people of Ossetia. It is the US economy that is collapsing, not Russia''s. It is time for regime change in the US.